Gogglebox star Shaun Malone has shared an update after undergoing brain surgery, posting a photo of the staples in his head and admitting the UK heatwave has made his hospital stay difficult. The 31-year-old reality star, who rose to fame with the Malone family on Channel 4's Gogglebox in 2014, has been open about his health battles since being diagnosed with a brain condition in 2010 after contracting sinusitis.
Shaun's Latest Surgery and Hospital Ordeal
Shaun revealed he recently had another operation and is currently recovering in hospital until Friday. Sharing an image of the surgical staples on his head, he wrote: "Heatwave is a terrible time to be stuck in hospital until Friday. Brain surgery is deffo not the highlight of my year." The post highlighted the challenges of recovering during the ongoing heatwave in the UK.
History of Brain Condition and Survival Against the Odds
Shaun's health struggles began in 2010 when he developed sinusitis, which led to a life-threatening brain infection. During an appearance on the Coaching From The Sofa podcast, he recounted that doctors gave him less than a 10% chance of survival. He said: "In 2010 I got sinusitis and in some way, the infection found its way back to my brain. My brain started swelling and my skull started crushing it so my mum took me to A&E saying, 'Look he's poorly!' and they said it was sinusitis."
He continued: "And then I collapsed one day at home and I ended up going into a coma and they said to my mum and dad that I had a less than 10 per cent chance of living." Shaun spent weeks in a coma, and doctors warned his parents about potential brain damage. Upon waking, he experienced memory issues and paralysis on his left side, describing it as essentially having a stroke. He said: "I couldn't move my left arm, my left leg, even the left side of my face."
Mother Julie Recalls Life-Saving Surgery
Shaun's mother, Julie, opened up about the ordeal, describing the gruelling surgery he endured and the challenges of his recovery, including learning to walk again. She told The Mirror: "The doctor said Shaun only had a slim chance of surviving surgery, that there were no beds available. Tom said I just went doolally saying, 'He's going to be fine, he's going to be fine'. Thankfully Tom was level-headed and really pushed them."
Julie added: "When a bed was finally found Shaun spent six hours in surgery to remove a piece of bone from his skull because of the swelling. He was in a coma for two weeks and when he came around had to learn to walk all over again."
